OverGround
by anjy93
Summary: Long ago, two races ruled over the Earth: Humans and Monsters. One day, a war broke out between the two races. After a long series of battles, the monsters were victorious. The humans hid away behind a magic barrier. Legend says that those who cross the barrier are doomed to never return... / au / (official blog @ overgroundau.)
1. Chapter 1

Frisk sits in class, listening to the teacher speak as she folds some paper. Around her, other students are doing the same. A couple of kids are looking outside, and she looks out as well. The light outside illuminates the red walls and floors off in the distance.

"Now, those who have questions about the barrier, please ask now." Frisk looks up at the teacher. He's tall, with a short beard, and brown hair.

"Mr. Alen!" She looks at one of the boys in the class. "How come we can't just come back in? Shouldn't the barrier be able to tell the difference between humans and monsters? I don't get it!"

"Jack, I just explained this. There isn't a way with magic to distinguish monsters and humans aside from the strength of the soul, and there are a few rare monsters who have strong enough souls that they could still get in through the barrier if we set that as a parameter." He points to an image of a mountain, drawn onto the whiteboard. "There is only one point of entry or exit, but if a human ever leaves the barrier, they can't get back. All those years ago, humans were in a bad way because of the war with monsters, and we were left with no choice but to flee to Mount Ebott, where some of the strongest wizards of the past had discovered a large cave. They sealed the mountain away, so no one, human or monster, could enter inside of it. However, anyone can leave. Still, we keep our guard up. Magic isn't perfect, and should there ever be a power equal to those great magicians who sacrificed their souls for humanity, then the barrier could be broken, and we'd be at the mercy of the monsters."

"Who says monsters are even that scary?" Jack frowns. "I bet I could beat them up!"

"One or two, maybe." Mr. Alen shakes his head. "Monsters, individually, aren't hard to deal with. However, as a group they become a terrifying force. On top of that, monsters are able to take human souls, since ours last so long outside of our bodies. There's no equivalent for humans though. Only a select few monsters are powerful enough to have souls that last outside their bodies, even they only last a few seconds. Chances are, any human that leaves the Underground will be killed." Frisk looks down at her paper. "Well, if there aren't any other questions, then that's the end of class for today. Go ahead and pack up your things." She grabs her notebook and rogue papers, shoving them into a purple bag. As the students migrate out of the classroom, Frisk finds herself walking alone. Others walk out in pairs or larger groups, but she has no one at her side as she walks towards the city.

"You know, Lava Ledge is really boring. Maybe we should go check out the snow." Frisk glances at the students around her.

"Nah. I've been there. It's way too cold. I wish the magicians would just use magic to get rid of the snow, honestly." Frisk sighs and looks up, but all she sees is darkness. When she looks ahead she can see, beyond a bridge, is a beautiful city. She glances back, but the red cavern behind her makes her cringe.

"Too hot." She mumbles. "Why is class right between these two cities anyways? Why do we only have one school? There's so many of us kids, they should build another school. I wish I wasn't down here…" Suddenly she's shoved to the side, almost to the edge of a cliff. She glares up at the group of boys and girls that run past her, across the bridge.

"Come on! The magicians are supposed to be doing that ritual today!"

"Duh! Why else was school let out early?" She gets up and brushes off her shorts and sweater, then continues across the bridge, and into the city. She sees a castle off to her right, and many people are gathering around it. She continues on though, until she reaches a large, white building. She walks in, and the sound of children shouting and laughing hits her hard.

"Too noisy." She mumbles as she walks up some stairs and heads into a room on the left. Inside there's two pairs of bunkbeds. She tosses her bag on the bottom left bed, then sits next to it. She lies back on the bed and stairs up at the bottom of the bed above her. "I… wonder what it looks like up close. It's so hard to get to the front of the crowd."

"Frisk!" She sits up and looks at the group of three girls that are walking into the room. "Oh my, I didn't realize you were here. You know, everyone is heading to the barrier." The lead girl says. Her hair is brown and tied back in a short ponytail, and she looks like the oldest one, older than Frisk at least. Behind her are two other girls, one with long black hair and the other with short brown hair. Both girls are Frisk's age.

"Well, I don't see why I should bring my backpack to a ritual." Frisk quietly says as the girls walk to the dressers in the room and open the drawers. "Why are you three here?"

"Well, we have to make sure we're presentable when we watch the magicians strengthen the barrier. After all, if a magician notices us then we could finally get out of this dump."

"Notice you?" Frisk raises an eyebrow. "The magicians that do the ritual are all older men. The only noticing you should hope they do is like a father looking at a daughter… Or a great, great granddaughter." She smirks, but a quick glare from the older girl stops that.

"Listen, Frisk, don't go getting a big head since we've been nice to you. You're still just some useless idiot. You don't even show magic potential."

"Like magic is all there is to life." Frisk stands and walks out of the room. "You all can have your stupid magic. I don't really care about it." She walks back to the stairs, and slowly makes her way down them. She continues out the door, and then walks towards the castle. The closer she gets, the thicker the crowd gets. Finally, Frisk is fighting to get past people. She ducks down and weaves between the legs of the people, though this becomes exponentially difficult. Still, she pushes forward, forcing her way through the excited crowd. All around her is cheerful chatter. Finally, she almost falls into a break in the crowd. When she looks up, she sees a door. The castle door. "I… I guess I just… wait."

* * *

Hours pass, and many of the people have decided to sit on the ground, including Frisk. Her eyes are shut as listens to the noise of the crowd.

"This is so exciting!"

"The magicians are so cool!"

"They're heroes! They protect us! They're more than cool!" She grits her teeth as she listens.

"Why… Why are they so special?" She mumbles as she opens her eyes and looks at the large white doors in front of her. "Stupid… S-stupid magic. Wh-why aren't people without magic treated so great? It's ridiculous." The doors begin to move, and instantly the people get to their feet. Frisk stands and looks at the men standing in the doorway. They all look older, several have beards, though some are clean shaven. All are dressed the same though. Their outfits are, but with black capes.

"Welcome, all of you. This year, once again, we shall combine our power to refresh our source of safety and comfort, the Great Barrier. Now, follow us." The men turn and walk into the castle. The crowd follows, but Frisk struggles to keep her spot at the front. Constantly, people are trying to push past her or pull her back. Still, she stays determined, and remains at the front. As they walk the castle halls, the magicians speak, taking turns as they go.

"Long ago, humans and monsters shared the earth. However, monsters became destructive, and stole the lives of humans for the power it would grant them."

"Human souls, the source of our strength, the culmination of our entire being, are able to continue on for a time, even after death. Monsters though, their souls do not continue. In fact, their bodies turn to dust once they pass on."

"Monsters took advantage of this, and began to attack humans. During the fight, we found we were losing to their numbers, and to those who had stolen our souls."

"So, humans fled to a secret cave, discovered and magically altered by the great wizards of old. Here, the wizards took a final stand, and here they traded their souls for the creation of a great barrier, one that would protect the humans they managed to save, for generations to come." Frisk looks around at the pristine building. The windows shine brightly, and the paintings are skillful and detailed. There is no sign of dirt or wear.

"For a time, humans thought themselves safe. Then, one night, a creature who had stolen the soul of a human child came through the barrier. The creature taunted the people who had found it, holding the body of the innocent youth it had slain. The humans who saw this managed to drive the creature back out, but something had to be done about this." They walk past the throne room, and back further still, until they come to a room that is gently glowing white.

"So, each year, we revisit this barrier point to offer our strength and our magic." The magicians turn around and face the crowd. They then speak in unison.

"Join us in protecting all human kind!" The crowd cheers, but Frisk scrunches her nose.

"So far, just a bunch of talking." Frisk mumbles.

"Now, please, do not cross this barrier." One of the magicians says. "Those who leave here will never return. The other side of this barrier is a hell, where monsters roam free, searching for humans to slaughter. Take care, and stand back."

"Frisk, you got to the front?" Frisk cringes as she looks to her right. The girls from her room push their way towards her. "You must be so happy to actually see magic, since, you know, you can't make any."

"Seriously? You really need to bring that up?" Frisk quietly snaps.

"Look, Frisk, it's not my fault you're useless." The girl shakes her head. "You know, you'd probably be more useful as monster food." She says with a smirk. Frisk grits her teeth, and she feels the start of tears. She blinks them back though.

"Yeah, Frisk, you really would be better off out there." One of the other girls adds. "You're probably a tasty snack. I mean, if you're nothing else, then you have to be that at least." The magicians turn to the barrier and hold their hands up.

"S-stop it. Seriously, you three…"

"You know, she probably doesn't even make for a good snack. She's so small, and she looks so unappealing with her ugly stripes." Frisk looks forward as her hands ball into fists. "Too bad she won't just run through the barrier. We'd all be better off without her." A few tears break through and slide down Frisk's cheeks.

"Definitely would be better if she just left."

"It'd be great if she'd go die out there." The girls giggle as they agree with each other. Frisk glances around, but no one seems to hear, or at least acknowledge, the cruel words the girls are speaking. She then looks at the barrier. The magicians begin to float as their bodies are surrounded by auras of different colors. Her tears stop as she continues to look at the barrier. The magicians continue their ritual, quietly speaking a language she doesn't understand. Then, Frisk takes a step forward. Then another.

"Frisk, what a…" The lead girl starts to speak, but Frisk starts to run. "Frisk!"

"That child!"

"Someone catch her!"

"Stop her!" The magicians hear the noise and look to see Frisk, just before she runs past them.

"Child! Wait! If you continue you'll be trapped outsi…" The words of the magician disappear as Frisk runs through the white wall, her arms covering her face, eyes shut tight. She feels a pressure surround her, but then it simply disappears. She opens her eyes and drops her arms, but all too late she sees the cliff edge in front of her. She tries to stop, but it simply leads to a painful drop, as her legs and arms scrape against the edge. She turns and tries to grab onto something, but she's unable to.

"N-no! No! I… I don't…" She looks down at the trees below her, tears once again flowing from her eyes. "I… I don't want to die!" She screams. "I changed my mind! Someone! Save me! I don't wanna die!" She cries out, but all that happens is she feels a paralyzing pain in her back and her head, before everything goes black.

Frisk opens her eyes. Her arms are in front of her face, but she's simply standing on the cliff, looking out at a bright blue sky. She looks behind herself, and sees only a white wall. She tries to touch it, but it shocks her. She looks back out at the cliff edge. "I just… I just r-ran over that, d-didn't I? I… I died… D-didn't I? What… What's going on?"


	2. Chapter 2

As Frisk makes her way down the mountain path, she is overwhelmed by the sights around her. The breeze blows past her, and makes the tips of the trees gently sway. She looks up at the sky and takes in the warm blue and fluffy white clouds. She looks at the mountain, and beyond its peak she can see a gently light glowing, though she can't quite see the source. The sound of birds singing makes her look back at the trees.

"This is so… I can't believe this." She smiles. "How… How could those humans ever leave this? This place is so beautiful." She stops and picks a yellow flower. "These are amazing." She smells the flower as she continues on her way. "You know, I haven't even seen any monsters yet. Outside of the cliff thing, this place is perfect. I don't know why everyone is so afraid. Maybe monsters don't even exist anymore." As her journey goes on, the sun slowly goes down, and darkness reaches out and grabs at Frisk. Her walk slows as the shadows get longer. She holds on tightly to her flower, occasionally she runs her fingers over the petals. In the distance she sees a castle, with a city surrounding it. "Is… is that where monsters live? O-or, maybe that's an old human city."

"Oh, that's where monsters live." Frisk jumps and looks around, but she doesn't see anyone. "Howdy, friend." She looks down and sees a larger yellow flower with a face at its center. She jumps back and drops her flower. "Why so scared? Look, you seem pretty new to everything. I'll help you out, pal. My name is Flowey. Flowey the flower."

"U-uh… H-hi. I'm…" Frisk starts to speak, but Flowey continues instead.

"You know, humans are a rare sight out here. If you're gonna be around, I'll make sure you know what everything is. Now, us monsters have a unique way of showing our love for each other. We use these need little 'friendliness pellets'." He smirks as a ring of pellets appear around him. "When a monster wants to be friends, they'll make their own pellets. Now, what you do is you allow these pellets to touch you, and you'll feel a neat emotion that shows just how close you are with the monster. Here, as your first monster friend, I'll give you these pellets."

"O-okay." Frisk smiles nervously as the pellets slowly move towards her. "I… I'm happy monsters aren't as scary and mean as we were to…" The pellets hit her, and she feels a sharp pain as they dig into her skin. "Ow! Hey!" She steps back as the pellets disappear. Flowey's smile becomes twisted, and Frisk feels a chill run down her spine as few tiny trickles of blood slide over her skin.

"You idiot. Did you really think things would be that simple? In this world, it's kill or be killed. There is no friends or kindness." He laughs as a ring of pellets surround Frisk. She spins around, but there is no escape. "Die!" The pellets shoot in at her, but suddenly they disappear as a ball of fire hits Flowey. He shouts and disappears into the ground.

"What a wretched creature, attacking an innocent child." Frisk looks up to see a tall goat woman walk out of a tree line, a basket on her arm. "Young one, are you okay?" Frisk shrinks back, not saying a word. The woman smiles sweetly. "Please, do not fear, my child. My name is Toriel. I walk these paths every day. In the past, human children have come from this mountain, so I am here to care for all who come to the surface."

"Y-you… w-won't hurt me?" Frisk quietly asks.

"Never would I dream of hurting such a precious child." She holds her hand out. "Come with me, young one. I'll care for you." Frisk hesitates, but then she takes a few steps forward, until she's able to place her hand in Toriel's. "There we go. Follow me." Toriel gently wraps her larger hand around Frisks, and the two walk back into the trees, through a tiny path that leads down a hill. "Now, we are still part way up the mountain, but many monsters live all over this land. Monsters also love traps, so along the paths there are many traps and puzzles that must be solved. Also, and I do not mean to scare you, some monsters may attack you. Not all monsters will though. Some simply don't understand, or have been misinformed regarding humans."

"I… I-I don't want…" Frisk stutters, but she stops as Toriel smiles at her once again.

"Do not be afraid, my child. There are only a few monsters here up on the mountainside where I live, and should you be attacked, since it is not a large place, I can come to your aid." They break through into a clearing. Here there is a training dummy, as well as parts for a puzzle in a pile. The dummy and the puzzle parts both have a cover over them, though the sides are all open to the air. "Here, this is perfect for you. Practice striking up a conversation with this dummy. If you can do that and stall any fight you are in, I'll come to your side and stop the battle before anyone has to get hurt."

"O-okay. I'll try." Frisk walks up to the dummy, and she sees a stick next to it. She grabs it and looks at the stick, then at the dummy. "So just talk? Not fight it or anything?" She looks at Toriel.

"Yes, simply start a conversation." Frisk looks at the dummy again, and she tightens her grip on the stick.

"Um… H-hey there. My name is Frisk. It's, uh, nice to meet you. I hope we can be friends and you don't, you know, kill me or anything." She laughs lightly, and Toriel laughs as well as she walks up and stands between her and the dummy.

"Good, good." She pats Frisk's head. "You did so well. Come now, let's continue the journey to my home." Toriel walks down a wider path, and Frisk follows, still beaming after the praise she was given. "Now, there is a puzzle up ahead. The forest here, where it hasn't been cleared, is very thick and difficult to walk through, so you must complete the puzzle in order to go on." They continue on, and into another clearing. There's a sign posted, and as they walk past Frisk reads it.

"This clearing is a map of the other." She quietly reads out. She looks around the clearing, but all that sticks out to her is the grass that's cut shorter, creating a path, though it isn't quite straight. When they walk through a small gap between clearings, Frisk sees a long stretch of spikes, with tall walls of boulders lining either side, making it impossible to go around.

"Hmm…" Toriel looks at Frisk. "Perhaps this is too dangerous for you right now. Here, take my hand." She holds her hand out, and Frisk grabs it. Toriel then walks through the spikes, but as she walks, some disappear, like an illusion. They walk through the path of spikes, turning a few times as they go. Frisk looks at the spikes they avoid. They come up to her knees. There's a tiny bit of space between them, but she'd probably get hurt trying to walk between them. They reach the end of the spikes, and continue on. Trees, boulders, bushes, and signs mark different clearings, making it impossible to see straight to the end. As well, the paths don't continue straight on. Frisk simply trusts Toriel and follows close to her. During their walk, a frog type monster suddenly jumps out from behind a bush and in between Toriel and Frisk.

"W-wait! T-Toriel!" Frisk panics and holds her stick tighter.

"Calm down." Toriel looks back. "It is simply a froggit." Frisk looks from Toriel to the froggit, then she swallows her fear.

"Um, h-hey there." The froggit croaks. "Y-you know…" She smiles slightly. "Y-you're kind of cute." The froggit blushes as Toriel walks to them. She gives the froggit a stern look, and he cowers down before hopping back to his bush. She then smiles at Frisk.

"You did so well, my child." Frisk blushes and smiles back.

"Thank you. I… I'm glad I can do something right." Toriel looks puzzled a moment, but then she turns and continues on, Frisk right at her side. They suddenly stop in the next room where another froggit is resting. Frisk stands closer to Toriel.

"Wh-what's wrong?" Frisk quietly asks as she looks up. "Why'd we stop?"

"I just remembered, I must go attend to some things before I can allow you to continue." Toriel looks down at Frisk. "This place is safe, my child. Please, stay here until I return for you." She starts to walk, but then she stops and turns back while reaching into a pocket in her dress. "Here." She pulls out an old looking flip phone and holds it out to Frisk. "This phone has my number in it. Should you need anything, do not hesitate to call me. I shall call you when I am on my way back."

"O-okay…" Frisk takes the phone and looks down at it, then back up at Toriel, who is smiling.

"Do not be afraid, my child. I may leave you alone for a while, but trust in me. You shall remain safe, so long as you continue to do as I say. Now, be good and stay here for a short while." She waves, then continues on. Frisk stands there, nervously glancing at the froggit off in the corner, near another exit to a different clearing from where Toriel went. She looks down at the phone, then she looks at the monster. He looks at her as well.

"Uh, h-hello." She smiles nervously. The froggit makes a croaking noise, but, somehow, she understands the noise, and it makes her stumble back.

"Hello, human. I'm Fro."

"Y-you… H-how can…" She shakes her head. "M-magic must be really strong out here too. I didn't expect to understand a froggit." He seems to laugh, though it sounds like croaking.

"You know, human, I have some advice for you about battling monsters. Would you please listen?" Frisk nods. "If, during a fight, you act a certain way, or weaken a monster, but not kill them, then they won't want to fight you anymore. Please, when this happens, show some mercy." Frisk looks surprised.

"I… I will." She smiles. "I don't want to hurt anyone, and… Monsters haven't all been so mean or scary, like I've been taught. If most of you are kind and friendly, then… then I don't want to end that." Fro seems to smile.

"Thank you, human." Frisk puts the phone back in her pocket, then, slowly, she starts walking around. At first, she only explores the room she's in. However, she soon goes to the room next to Fro. She sees a pedestal with a bowl on top of it. When she walks up she sees some writing etched into it.

"Take one." She reaches in and pulls out a piece of candy, which makes her smile. She unwraps the candy and pops it into her mouth, before walking back to the room with Fro. For a while, she stays there. However, as her boredom grows, and pulls out her phone. She calls Toriel.

"Hello?"

"Toriel? Hi. I… Just wanted to say hi, I guess."

"Oh, is that all? Well, hi. I hope that is sufficient."

"Yeah, I… well… Actually, do you know how long you think you'll be?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, my child. Please, be patient for a little while longer." Frisk sighs.

"Alright, I'll try. Thank you, mom, uh, I-I mean, T-Toriel." She blushes, but, rather than hear laughter, she hears what sounds like muffled crying. "T-Toriel? I'm sorry, I-I didn't… I-I don't really have a, you know, mom, so you…"

"If… you would like to call me mom, I… would not be unhappy about that."

"R-really?" She smiles. "O-okay. Thank you… mom."

"I will speak to you again soon, my child." Frisk hangs up as a few tears roll down her eyes. She beams as she puts the phone away. Once again, though with more pep in her step, she walks around, inspecting the clearing. However, as before, boredom sets in. She looks at the way Toriel left, and, though she hesitates a moment, she walks through to the next clearing.


	3. Chapter 3

Frisk sees a stone and a button, as well as a sign, and spikes leading out through to the next clearing. She walks to the sign. "Three out of four rocks recommend pushing them… Okay?" She looks at the rock. "Well, there's only one right now." She walks to the rock, which comes up to her knees, and then looks at the button. "Guess it goes on there." She pushes the rock, digging her feet into the ground. Its slow going, but with some determination she makes it to the button. She hears a click, and the sees the spikes drop into the ground. "Yes!" She runs to the next clearing. "This is actually kind of fun." She runs forward, past a stump with a hole in it where one of the trees should be, but this time she comes across a dirt patch filled with x's. She continues her run, but when she walks onto the dirt she suddenly falls through the ground. She shouts as she falls down, until she lands on some leaves, breaking her fall. "Okay, ow." She stands and dusts herself off, then looks around. She sees a path through the leaves, and she sees a sign up ahead. She walks to it and read sit. "Please don't step on the leaves… So, I…" She looks up, then looks down at the leaves. "Oh, I get it." She giggles and walks around. "So, how do…" She freezes when she sees a creature floating by a hole in the stone wall.

"I-I'm sorry. I h-have no choice." The creature quietly says as white moths appear around Frisk. She looks around, her heart pounding.

"W-wait, I…" The moths move in closer to Frisk, but almost right away move back away, then closer, then away, in a pattern. Frisk looks at the monster, and he's sniffling. She smiles. "It's okay." She quietly says. He looks surprised.

"Ah… Forgive me!" The moths disappear, and he flies to the hole in the wall, which sucks him up. Frisk looks at it in surprise, then she smiles and follows after him. The air in the hole grabs her and pulls her up, shooting Frisk up and out of the hollowed out stump. She laughs as she lands on the ground next to the stump.

"Magic air currents, cool." She runs back to the dirt. "Okay, how did that pattern go?" She carefully walks through the dirt, slowly making her way to the next clearing. When she makes it through she laughs. "This is really fun! These puzzles aren't hard at all!" She runs to the next room and sees a line of spikes blocking her path. She also sees three rocks in front of buttons. "Alright, I think they're running out of ideas." She walks up to one rock and pushes it, though it takes a great deal of effort. She then moves on to the next one, and then the third. However, when she puts her hands on the last rock, it speaks.

"Hey!" Frisk jumps back. "Who said you could push me?"

"Uh, I-I'm sorry." She quietly says. "I, uh, I just need you to move. I didn't mean to be rude."

"Move? Well, I guess I can do that." The rock slides to the left, not towards the button. Frisk half smiles.

"Uh, I actually need you to move that way." She says as she points towards the button.

"I went the wrong way? Well, I'll move." The rock moves closer to the button, but not all the way.

"Thanks. I just, uh, need you to go a little further. I need you to get on that button, please."

"The button? Oh, I see. Alright, alright, just for you, since you're asking so nicely." Finally, the rock moves onto the button, and the spikes drop. Frisk smiles and runs to the spikes.

"Thank you!" She shouts. Suddenly, just before she reaches them, the spikes pop back up. She skids to a stop, then turns back. The rock has moved off the button. She pauses a moment, looking at the rock. "Oh, uh… I-I kinda need you to stay on that button. I can't get out if you move."

"Stay? Geeze kid, you're giving me a workout." The rock moves back, and the spikes drop once again. Frisk looks at the spikes, then she laughs and looks back at the rock.

"I think you're the funniest rock I've ever met. Not that I've met many talking rocks. Thank you!" She runs forward, moving further into the forest. When she enters the next clearing, she sees two exits. One exit has a sign, but the other, which leads to the left, has none. She walks up to the sign. It has a paper attached by some webs at the bottom. "Spider bakery. Free sample Friday." She frowns, but then she looks through the foresty doorway. Inside she sees a counter with a few spiders on it of varying sizes. Some are small, and close to the size she's used to. However, some are large, and reach almost as high as her waist. One spider notices her, and it waves one of its legs at her. "Uh, h-hi." She walks in and looks around. The clearing is decorated with counters, ovens, baking supplies, and baked goods.

"Hello." One of the spiders quietly speaks.

"Um, hi. I… Don't really know of any talking spiders. I certainly have never heard of spiders that bake." The spider seems to smile.

"Well, humans must not have our family around. We spiders run a family business that's quite popular." Frisk smiles.

"I see. Well, I'd like to try some, but I kinda don't have any money."

"Today is free sample Friday." The spider looks up, and so does Frisk. She sees a host of spiders above her, all passing around tools and mixing in bowls on their webs. One spider comes down from the ceiling while holding a doughnut twice its size. It stops in front of Frisk's face and holds the doughnut. She takes it, and the spider climbs back up to the ceiling. "We hope you like it."

"Th-thank you." Frisk takes a bite, and her face lights up as she chews on the fluffy, chocolate covered creation. "I-it's so good!" She quickly devours the remainder of the doughnut, and the spiders all seem to give a little dance. "If I get some money, I'll definitely have to come back and buy all your doughnuts."

"We look forward to it. Have a good day." In unison, the spiders wave Frisk off as she walks out of their make-shift shop. She walks to the next clearing, and this one is the most spacious. It has a little pond, covered in blooming lily pads. Beyond that is an open yard with a garden, and a small house. Before Frisk can take another step, Toriel walks out of the house, holding her cellphone. She spots Frisk and stops.

"My child! Oh, I must have taken so long. I'm sorry about that. You've come to my home rather than have me bring you here. Are you hurt?" She walks to Frisk and kneels in front of her.

"No, I'm fine." Frisk smiles. "It was a little scary, but…" She giggles. "Really, I didn't see many monsters, and the ones I did weren't actually mean or anything." Toriel smiles as she stands up.

"No, they aren't." She pats Frisk's head, making her giggle. "Come now, you must be tired. You've already had such an exhausting day." She walks towards the house, and Frisk follows. "This is your home now. I hope you like it, though it's quite small and simple." When they walk into the house, Frisk quickly begins to explore. Toriel quietly laughs. "You seem quite excited. Now, I do have a room ready for you. Please, it's…" She starts to walk, but she suddenly stops. "Is… Is something burning? Oh my! Child, your room is the first door on the left down the hall!" She runs to her left, into a small room with a table, from what Frisk can see.

"My… room?" Frisk looks to her right, down a hallway. There are two doors. She walks down it and opens the first door. She turns on a light switch, and sees an orange room. Frisk pauses a moment, then starts laughing. "W-wow, its really… orange." She walks in and looks around. There is a twin size bed, a box of toys, a wardrobe, a desk, two lamps, and a rug. Frisk walks around, inspecting the few decorations that are there. When she opens the wardrobe she finds an array of outfits, most of which have stripes on them. She then turns to the bed. Slowly, Frisk walks up to the bed. She places her hand on the blanket. It's soft. She then turns and sits on it. "This is… For me? Just me?" She looks around the room once again, a smile stained on her lips. "I'm…" She falls back. "This is perfect." She feels the tears slide down her face. "This is the greatest thing ever. I can't believe this came from wanting to die. I can't… I could never be happier." The tears flow faster, and she begins to sob. She tries to stay quiet by turning and lying on her stomach, with her face buried in her new pillow. She cries, and cries, until finally she falls asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Frisk's eyes flutter open as the smell from a warm pie reaches her. She looks to her right and sees a slice of pie on a plate, sitting on the floor. She sits up and looks around the room, then looks down at herself. She's been tucked in, and the room has been tidied a bit more than it was when she first arrive. She gets out of the bed, then grabs the pie. It's still warm. The smell of cinnamon hits her the strongest, but there's another scent she can't quite place her finger on. She walks out of the room with the pie.

"Need a fork." She mumbles as she walks through the quiet house. She decides to follow the way that Toriel had gone before, and when she walks into the next room she finds Toriel, sitting in a rocking chair, reading a book. She smiles as Frisk.

"Hello, my child. I'm glad to see you're awake. You've slept for so long that I was getting a bit worried." Frisk smiles.

"Sorry. I was just really tired. This is kind of exhausting, you know?" Toriel stands.

"Yes. You've certainly been through a lot. Tell me, why are you carrying your pie around?" Frisk looks at the pie.

"Oh, I need a fork."

"Oh! I forgot!" Frisk smiles.

"It's alright. Where's the kitchen?"

"It's through that doorway." Toriel holds her hand out towards a doorway on the right. "Once you get your fork I can read you a story while you eat your pie." Toriel sits back down as Frisk walks to the kitchen. She sees the rest of the pie is sitting on the counter. It's twice the size of pies she's used to.

"Wow…" She walks up to the counter and sets down her piece. Then, she begins opening drawers, until finally she finds a fork. She grabs it and sticks it in her pie, then looks around the kitchen in more detail. "The stove is clean… She must use fire magic to cook. This looks brand new." She grabs her pie. "This is… It's really nice." She smiles and walks back out. "Okay, Tor… er… M-mom." Frisk's voice gets quiet quickly. Toriel smiles at her.

"Come sit down over here and I'll read you a story, my child." Frisk nods and sits in front of Toriel. As she begins to eat her pie, she listens to Toriel read the book, and her mind drifts off with the words.

* * *

Frisk watches a couple of loox as they stare at each other. Their stares are intense, and neither blinks. Their eyes begin to water, until, finally, one of them blinks.

"Greg is the winner!" Frisk shouts. "Sorry Lolo."

"He's gonna pick on me now!" Lolo shouts.

"Nah. Greg is a good sport, right?" Greg nods, though that means his whole body moves.

"I won't pick on you, Lolo."

"Frisk!" Frisk looks to see Toriel at the door to the house.

"Sorry, I've gotta go. See you guys later." She runs inside. "What's up, mom?"

"I've prepared some lunch. I thought you might be getting hungry." Frisk smiles.

"Yeah. Lunch sounds great. Can I eat outside though?"

"Well…" Toriel looks at Frisk and sighs. "Okay, okay." Frisk follows Toriel into the kitchen and takes a sandwich and some salad on a plate off the counter. She then grabs a fork and heads outside, munching on her salad as she looks for a place to sit. She walks around the front of the yard, then she looks back at the house.

"I don't wanna go inside…" She mumbles. "I hate being stuck inside…" She sees some rocks behind the house. "Perfect." She walks to the back of the house, but before she sits down she spots a break in the trees. "Hm?" Frisk sets her sandwich down and squeezes between the house and the tree line. On the other side of the house is a tall plank of wood, it almost looks like it's part of the house. The gap between the trees and the house is also bigger. When she reaches the gap she sees a long, dark tunnel of trees, with a small twinkle of light at the end. "Is… Is that… The… The outside…" Images of the beach and the city and mountain fill Frisk's mind. "This is the way to the rest of the world, outside the forest…" She simply stands there, staring at the light at the end of the tunnel. She then looks to the side. "Mom… Why didn't she ever show me this?" She looks down the tunnel one last time before she makes her way back to her sandwich. She doesn't bother with it though. Instead, Frisk runs back inside, to Toriel. "Mom!"a

"Frisk? What's wrong?" Toriel, who is cleaning in the kitchen, turns to see Frisk.

"Mom! Why didn't you tell me there's a tunnel leading out of the forest?" Toriel freezes. "I could go see the rest of the world! I… I wanna see what else there is, and meet all those other monsters out there! I…"

"I must… I must go do something. Please, stay here." Toriel walks out, and at first Frisk does stay there. However, when she hears the front door open, she frowns.

"This… Can't be good." She runs after Toriel. "Mom!"

"Go back, my child! I won't allow another child to suffer because of my weakness." Frisk continues to follow her around the opposite side of the house from the rocks.

"No! Mom, what are you doing? Mom? Toriel!" Frisk shouts, but Toriel doesn't respond. She grabs the plank of wood and looks back at Frisk, tears in her eyes.

"Please, my child, go back. Too many times before I've allowed you children to go beyond my home, and each time Asgore has ended their lives."

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Toriel drops the wood.

"I'll fell so many of those trees that there will never be found another means by which to leave. I… I won't ever allow you to be hurt!"

"Stop it!" Frisk shouts, surprising Toriel. She turns and looks at Frisk rather than walk into the gap. "Please, you… You can't do that! There's a world out there! I don't want to leave forever, but… But I can't be expected to just stay here when I know I can go and meet so many other people and see so many other things. There's an ocean! I've only ever heard stories about that! There's a city, and it looks so much better than the one I know. I…" Frisk and Toriel both have tears in their eyes. "Please, mom… I know it sounds selfish, but I've been wanting so much to go see more of the world."

"I…" Toriel looks towards the tunnel, then back at Frisk. "My child… If… If you are determined to leave me, then… Then I must test you. Prove to me that you are strong enough to survive in the world out there!" She holds her hands out and fire forms in them. Frisk takes a step back. "If you run back inside then I'll forget all about this. Please, my child, just… give up." Frisk grits her teeth.

"No!" She shouts. "I'm not going to back down now. I… I'm strong enough to survive out there." More fire appears around Frisk, and it all swarms at her. Frisk drops to the ground, below the flames that are flying at her.

"Fight! Prove your strength!" Frisk jumps to the side and avoids a wall of fire.

"I won't fight you! I don't want to hurt anyone!" Frisk shouts. Toriel hesitates, but then she continues her attack. Fire wall after fire wall shoots out from Toriel, and after the fifth wall, Frisk finds herself up against the house, unable to dodge. She's hit by the fire, and she can feel her skin and clothes burning. She bites her lip so hard it bleeds.

"F-Frisk!" Toriel once again hesitates. However, Frisk doesn't stand down. She shakily continues to face Toriel. "Why… You could be happy here. You've been happy here. Frisk… My child…" A few tears roll down her face.

"I…" Frisk grits her teeth. "I've spent all my life being bullied, and cramped, trapped in that crowded house with all the other throwaways… Now that… I'm happy, you're right, but…" She smiles. "I… Have never been so desperate to live my life than when I thought I was really gonna lose it. I… Can't stop here. I can't just say good enough. The moment I saw the beauty of this world… I knew I had to go and see it all. And…" She trails off. "Well, that part isn't as important."

"My child…" Toriel's fire once again comes down, but it doesn't hit Frisk. "You…" Toriel sniffles.

"Please, understand, I don't hate you. I'm not going to fight you either. I… I just want to go forward, see more, learn more, do more… Please, Toriel."

"You don't understand! You're the eighth child to come out here. Your… Your life will be lost if you go out there, just like all the other children!"

"It won't." Frisk smiles. "I believe in that. I've learned through my short time in this forest that I'm capable of so much more than I ever knew."

"Child, you…" Toriel's arms drop. "You don't even understand why this world is so cruel to you young ones… You won't listen to me even if I explain, will you?" Frisk shakes her head. "I… Come here, my child." Frisk hesitates a moment, but then she walks forward. Her right arm and her cheek still sting from the fire, but she can see the burns slowly disappear as the magic wears off, though the pain doesn't disappear with them. Toriel kneels down and gingerly wraps her arms around Frisk. "My sweet child… There is so much pain in this world, but you are one of the beautiful lights that keep everyone happy. I… I wish you only the best. However…" She stands and looks down at Frisk. "I… I ask that you… You don't come back. You must understand." Frisk feels her heart ache.

"I…" She looks down. "I'm sorry, mom." She quietly says.

"B-be good, my child." Toriel's voice is barely audible. Frisk walks past Toriel, and heads to the tunnel. She heads into the darkness and walks towards the light. When she looks back, she sees the house, and that's all. She looks forward, and heads towards the light.


	5. Chapter 5

The tunnel is long, and occasionally Frisk trips on roots. Slowly though, she makes her way there. The light becomes bigger, and brighter, until Frisk finally breaks through the tree line. Before her is large clearing, and beyond that she can see, off in the distance, are a few buildings. However, they're just on the edge of her vision.

"Well, it may take a while, but it looks like I'll get to meet a lot of new people." She starts walking. The sun shines down on her as her stomach growls. "And maybe get some lunch. I forgot to grab my sandwich." She sighs. "I…" She glances back. "I hope mom'll be alright. I… I didn't want to upset her, but…" She looks to her right, and she can see, off in the distance, above the tree line, is the large city she first spotted when she left the Underground. "…I know there's something more I can do for everyone. I bet if I speak with the King, he'll help me." She walks on in silence. As the sun shines over her she begins to feel its heat beat down on her. She eventually pulls her sweater off, revealing a stripped tank top with the same purple and blue colors. She stops and ties the sweater around her waist, but as she does, she hears a snapping sound. "Hm?" She looks back, but no one is there. When she looks forward, she finds herself face to face with a skeleton. "Ah!" She stumbles back, and ends up tripping over her own feet and falling down. "Ow…"

"woah, buddy, why so jumpy?" The skeleton asks through a stifled laugh. "h-here, let me help you up." He holds his hand out, still struggling to not burst out laughing. Frisk takes a moment to take in the sight before her. The skeleton is about her height, though he sounds like an adult. He's wearing a white t-shirt, black shorts with a white stripe running down them, and Velcro white shoes with black accents. As well, he has a light blue jacket tied around his waist. "what's wrong? i'm not gonna hurt ya." Frisk smiles and takes his hand. He helps pull her up onto her feet.

"Thanks." She quietly says. "And… Sorry. Not exactly used to, you know, talking skeletons. We don't have any of those back in the Underground."

"hey, it's alright. i understand. anyways, it's nice to meet you. my name is sans, sans the skeleton."

"Nice to meet you too, Sans. My name is Frisk."

"well, frisk, mind telling me what a human is doing out here? i don't mean to be nosey, but it's a bit strange seeing one."

"Oh, uh, I…" Frisk thinks back to when she ran out of the barrier. "I-I just…" She fakes a smile. "Just exploring the world, you know? Monsters aren't as scary or mean as everyone always said, and I'm actually really enjoying myself out here." Sans keeps his smile, but he studies her a moment.

"well, that's fine." He turns and starts walking. Frisk follows. "thing is, humans should be a bit scared out here. you see, after a big tragedy that happened, the king declared that any humans that appear should be eliminated, to protect the people. Actually, one of my jobs is to help watch for humans and capture them, but… you know, that's not really my thing." Frisk watches Sans as they walk. He never opens his mouth when he speaks, though occasionally it'll move a bit, changing how much he's smiling. "my brother though, he's all about catching humans. he's actually on his way here right now. say…" He looks at Frisk. "would you mind playing along with my brother for a little bit? he's never seen a human before, and i know you'd make his day."

"Play along?" Frisk gives Sans a curious look, but he looks forward instead of responding.

"yeah, there he is, up ahead. Look, there's a little guard station over here. go hide behind it."

"Alright, alright." Frisk sighs. As they walk past some trees, she sees the guard station tucked away in a deeper clearing to the left. She quickly runs to the station and sits in the space beneath the counter. She finds bottles of ketchup, mustard, and relish fill the space, but still, she makes room for herself.

"SANS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WANDERING ABOUT LIKE THAT?"

"sorry bro. just stretching my legs. say, you hungry? i might have something to eat at my station." Frisk frowns.

"YES, I'M HUNGRY. HOWEVER, BEFORE WE CAN HAVE A BREAK WE NEED TO FINISH OUR WORK, AND YOURS IS TOO FAR BEHIND. YOUR PUZZLES HAVEN'T BEEN CALIBRATED. IN FACT, YOU HAVEN'T UPDATE SOME OF THEM IN A YEAR! HOW HAVE YOU BEEN GETTING AWAY WITH SUCH A LAZY ATTITUDE?"

"come on bro, no need to get so upsetti. Why don't you have some spaghetti?"

"SANS! THAT WAS TERRIBLE!"

"you smiled. i count that as a win." Frisk peaks around the side of the station and sees a tall skeleton, dressed in silver armor, with a red scarf, gloves, and boots. As well, his bones, from the neck down, seem to be covered in something black. His armor consists of a chest piece, shoulder plates, some sort of shorts or underwear, with the legs replaced by some hanging chainmail strips, which end in points, like upside down triangles.

"SANS, LAZYNESS IS A DANGEROUS THING! YOU NEED TO BE MORE ALERT AND PREPARED! WHY DO I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE TO SPEND ALL OF MY TIME NAGGING YOU, BROTHER? YOU AREN'T THIS LAZY IN YOUR LAB."

"sorry bro. i can't help it. i spend all of my energy in the lab. you know, those reports don't write themselves… that'd be a great idea actually. i wonder if we can make self-writing reports." Frisk giggles.

"Geeze. Lazy sounds like an understatement." She whispers to herself.

"SANS, TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!"

"look, it'll get taken care of. don't worry bro. when have i ever let you down?" Papyrus sighs.

"ALRIGHT, JUST, PLEASE, DON'T SLACK OFF TOO MUCH." Papyrus turns and leaves.

"alright, you can come out." Frisk stands and looks at Sans. "that's my brother, papyrus. he really is a great guy, though he does nag a lot." Sans chuckles. "so, if you just go forward and play along with him, i'd really appreciate it. he could use a pick-me-up right now."

"Alright, I guess. I mean, I don't see why not."

"great. i'll be up ahead." He starts walking the way he and Frisk came. She frowns and looks to the left, where Papyrus had gone, then back at Sans. He's gone.

"Wh…" She blinks a few times. "Where did he go?" She slowly walks out from behind the station, but no matter how long she looks, she can't see Sans. "Whatever." She sighs and returns to her journey. "Guess I'll see him up ahead… Somehow."


	6. Chapter 6

Frisk hums as she continues her walk. The closer she gets to the distant town, the more monsters she spots. Many either ignore her, or simply give her curios looks. However, a few approach her. One such monster is a rather large carrot, which Frisk doesn't notice until she trips over it.

"Awfully clumsy. Must not be eating your greens." Frisk looks at the smirking vegetable as she gets back to her feet.

"Um…" She searches for a response, but nothing comes to mind. Suddenly, she's hit on the head. "Ow!" She looks up, then jumps back. It's raining vegetables. They bounce a couple times, some coming at Frisk, but all she has to do is kick them away.

"Vegetoid is here for your health." The carrot says.

"Vegetoid? Is that your name, or what you are? I've seen one or two of you back in the forest, but never talked with one."

"Are you talking to a plant?"

"Uh…" Frisk frowns. "Yes?"

"Plants can't talk, dummy." Frisk glances up, then her head snaps up. A line of carrots is above her head, and they look sharp. She jumps back again, avoiding the line as it falls and hits the ground hard enough to leave holes before disappearing. Frisk's stomach also growls.

"Not now." She mumbles.

"Hungry? Eat your greens!" The vegetables begin falling from the sky again, but this time a few have a green aura around them. One falls right into Frisk's hands. It's a celery stick. She looks at Vegetoid, then back at the celery. Finally, she takes a bite, and instantly she feels some of the aching in her body disappear.

"O-oh, wow… This food has magic in it, doesn't it?" She smiles. "Thank you."

"Good. You ate your greens." Vegetoid disappears into the ground, leaving Frisk to finish her celery as she continues on her way.

"Some of these monsters sure are strange." She says with a giggle. "I certainly didn't expect a vegetable, but hey, he was nice enough to leave me with some food. I've been so hungry." Frisk sees, not too far ahead, is a pair of familiar skeletons, talking. She stops walking for a moment, then takes in a deep breath and continues. When she gets close, the skeletons seem to notice her. They look at her, then at each other then, then at her, then each other. They do this so many times, getting faster and faster, that both of them suddenly get dizzy and stumble back a few steps, making Frisk laugh.

"S-SANS, IS… IS THAT A HUMAN?" Papyrus looks at Sans, who looks at Frisk.

"hmm… nope. That's a flower." Frisk frowns and looks around. She spots, to her right, is a very tall couple of sunflowers, making her laugh more as she looks back at Sans.

"OH…"

"but what's that next to the flower?" Papyrus looks back at Frisk.

"OH MY GOD. IT'S A HUMAN!" He looks at Sans. "RIGHT?"

"yep." Sans winks. Papyrus faces Frisk as he puffs out his chest and puts his hands on his hips.

"HUMAN! I'M IMPRESSED YOU MADE IT THIS FAR, HOWEVER, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SHALL STOP YOU HERE. IF YOU DARE TO GO AGAINST ME, THEN PROCEED. OTHERWISE, TURN BACK! FOR YOU SHALL NEVER GET PAST MY MANY TRAPS AND PUZZLES! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus then turns and runs. Frisk shakes her head as she walks to Sans.

"heh, it really has cheered him up, seeing you." Sans smiles at Frisk. "thanks for this, really. my bro has been down lately, but the moment he saw you… well, don't get too worried about him, okay? however much he'll talk about capturing you and stuff, he's actually too kind for something like that. he won't hurt ya, not too bad anyways."

"Not too bad?" Frisk raises an eyebrow. "Honestly, I'm more worried now than I was before you said that. Sans shrugs.

"well, he is trying to do his job as a member of the king's army, but, hey, in the end you're safe with him. anyways, just keep going forward, and i'll be up there too." He doesn't move as Frisk turns to leave. She looks back, but Sans is gone.

"Okay, that's a tad bit scary. He's doing it on purpose, isn't he?" She looks around, but doesn't see Sans. Instead, she sees Papyrus has finally stopped running, and he's waiting for her. Frisk sighs, but smiles. "What is this outside world? All these crazy vegetables and talking skeletons." She continues on her way, walking towards Papyrus. "I wish I had come out here sooner. I… I'm really loving this place, even with the occasional attacking monsters, and food. I'm pretty sure my food in the Underground never attacked me." She giggles and looks back, and, to her surprise, a few monsters have gathered behind her, and they're watching her. She stops and waves at them. "Uh, hello." They scatter. "Oh…"

"HUMAN! HURRY!" Frisk looks forward again and sees Papyrus waving at her, with Sans standing at his side.

"H… How?" She shakes her head. "You know what, just, never mind. I'm not even gonna start questioning magic skeletons." She starts jogging, until finally she reaches the skelebros. "Sorry. Got a little distracted."

"NYEH HEH HEH. THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS A PATIENT SKELETON. NOW, HUMAN, I THINK YOU'LL FIND THIS FIRST PUZZLE QUITE, SHOCKING." Frisk raises an eyebrow. "FOR YOU SEE, THIS IS THE INVISIBLE ELECTRICITY MAZE! AS YOU WALK THROUGH THIS MAZE, THIS…" As Papyrus speaks, he holds up an orb. At the same time, a butterfly gently floats down, until it suddenly lands on something. The orb shines and shocks Papyrus.

"A-are you okay?" Frisk shouts as the butterfly quickly flies off, and the shocking stops.

"Y-YES… UH, PERHAPS THIS PUZZLE IS A BIT TOO… UNPREDICTABLE. FOR ONE, YOU SHOULD BE THE ONE HOLDING THIS ORB. HOWEVER, SHOULD A RANDOM CREATURE TOUCH THIS MAZE, IT WOULD BE UNFAIR TO HAVE YOU ZAPPED FOR THEIR ACTIONS." Papyrus looks at the orb in his hand. He sets it down, then walks through the maze, until he reaches Frisk. "HUMAN, FOLLOW ME. THIS PUZZLE CLEARLY NEEDS TUNING! PERHAPS WE'LL COME BACK TO THIS ONE ANOTHER TIME." He holds his hand out, and Frisk looks at it a moment before she places her hand in his.

"Alright. Lead the way, Great Papyrus." She says with a giggle. Papyrus smiles and runs back through the maze, dragging Frisk behind him. When they get to the other side, Papyrus lets go and runs forward, to the next puzzle. Frisk laughs as she attempts to recover her stolen balance. "Oh boy. I don't know if I can keep up with him."

"heh, he's pretty energetic. i can never keep up with him when he gets going." Sans looks at Papyrus. "too bad that butterfly came along. he really liked this maze. i'm sure he'll come up with a crazier idea to replace it."

"I can't same I'm upset about it. If I was gonna get zapped by holding that orb…" Frisk shakes her head. "No thanks. I've already been burned today. I don't need to be zapped too." Sans looks questioningly at Frisk, but he doesn't say anything. "I'm guessing you'll be up ahead."

"yep." He smiles at her as she starts walking.

"I feel like you two are gonna drive me crazy soon, even though I just met you both." Frisk continues on, and as she walks she can't help but take in the scenery around her. She can see the mountains to her left, and the town in front of her is getting closer with every step. Small animals run around the trees and through the open field. Other monsters do the same. Some simply spend their time lounging, some seem to be searching for something. There are younger monsters that chase after some of the animals, laughing as they go. The further she goes, the more monsters she sees. When Frisk reaches Papyrus she realizes Sans had appeared without her noticing.

"HUMAND, YOU'VE DONE WELL TO CONTINUE ON AGAINST ME, THE GREAT PAPYRUS. HOWEVER, THIS TIME YOU WILL FACE THE FEROCITY OF MY BROTHER! FOR THIS PUZZLE WAS DESIGNED BY HIM!"

"Uh…" Frisk looks at the ground, but all she sees is a piece of paper laying in the grass.

"SANS, WHERE IS THE PUZZLE?" Papyrus looks at Sans, who shrugs.

"it's right there, bro. trust me, this'll definitely stump her." Frisk looks at them, then she walks forward and grabs the paper. She finds a long, complicated mathematical equation on it. For a few moments, she simply stares at it, a look of dread on her face. "see, she's totally lost."

"YOU APPEAR TO BE RIGHT." Frisk looks at Sans, then, without looking away, she crumples up the paper and throws it at Sans. He catches it.

"that's not cool. i actually need this for my work." Sans says as he unfolds the paper. Frisk smirks and sticks her tongue out at him.

"Sorry. I already had school today, and I really don't need more math."

"LET ME SEE THAT!" Papyrus grabs the paper and looks at it. "SANS, THIS IS TOO COMPLICATED! SHE'S CLEARLY A YOUNG HUMAN, YOU CAN'T EXPECT HER TO SOLVE ONE OF DAD'S EQUATIONS!"

"sorry pap. this is actually one of mine though. it's about…" Sans starts to explain the equation, but Papyrus doesn't listen.

"WELL, SO FAR THESE PUZZLES ARE PROVING QUITE PROBLEMATIC. STILL! HUMAN, WE ARE FAR FROM DONE!" Papyrus turns to leave, but as he does, Frisk's stomach growls. She quickly wraps her arms around it and blushes. Papyrus looks at her again. "HUMAN, HAVE YOU BEEN ATTEMPTING OUR PUZZLES ON AN EMPTY STOMACH?"

"Uh, s-sorta." Frisk gives him a nervous smile. "I didn't get to eat before I came out here to explore. Vegetoid gave me some celery, but…" She trails off.

"THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! I HAVE MANY, MANY PUZZLES FOR YOU, BUT HOW CAN I ALLOW YOU TO DO THEM WHEN YOU'RE STARVING? I AM NOT A CRUEL SKELETON. COME, HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SHALL GRACE YOU WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO EAT SOME OF MY FAMOUS SPAGHETTI! FOLLOW ME!" Papyrus turns and runs. Frisk stands there a moment, then she laughs as she follows after him. Sans walks with her.

"W-wow. I thought I was gonna have to go through all sorts of puzzles before I finally got to the town."

"trust me, you were going to. papyrus has several puzzles set up between here and town. if you stick around then he'll probably bring you back so you can do the rest of the puzzles with him." Frisk looks at Sans, then she looks to the now distant image of Papyrus.

"I don't mind. I'm not planning on staying too long though, not for now. I really, really like how this place looks though." Frisk looks around again. "It's so… beautiful, and open. I can't imagine how this place could get any better." She smiles. Sans looks at Frisk, studying her face.

"you know, i… don't always look at it like that." He looks around now.

"Well, when you spend your entire life living in a giant cave, praying that humans never lose their skills with magic, you'll appreciate something like this. Really, I don't think I could ever go back to the underground. This world out here, the animals, the monsters, the sky… I…" She feels some tears fill her eyes, and she quickly wipes them away. "Sorry." She smiles at Sans. "This place is overwhelming sometimes."

"don't be sorry. i can't say i know where you're coming from. i mean, literally, i don't quite know where you're coming from. where are the humans? are they really in the mountain?" He looks towards Mount Ebott, and Frisk does as well.

"Yeah. We have a magic barrier that keeps anything from entering in, but anything can leave."

"that's pretty cool. i mean, if you ever wanna go home, it won't be so great. your family must be worried." Frisk's smile disappears, and her walk slows, though only slightly.

"Family… I… H-hey, lets hurry up! I bet Papyrus is gonna get mad if we're too slow." She starts running, but Sans stops. He frowns as he watches her go.

"…" He disappears.


	7. Chapter 7

Frisk walks slowly as she looks at the monsters that fill the town. They laugh and chat without a care. There are a few shops, a library, an inn, and, of course, homes. Most of the monsters don't give her a second glance, though a few seem startled by her presence. Up ahead, Papyrus waits in front of a house near the other end of the town. She picks up the pace to a jog until she reaches him.

"EXCELLENT! WELCOME, HUMAN, TO MY HOME. I SHALL COOK YOU A FABULOUS MEAL." He walks in and Frisk hesitates a moment before following him in. The house is two stories, though there is a door under the stairway to the left. Straight ahead is a kitchen, but immediately to the right is a table. There are some books on it, as well as a rock on a blanket, covered in sprinkles. "THAT'S SANS' PET ROCK. HE NEVER REMEMBERS TO FEED IT, SO I HAVE TO BE THE RESPONSIBLE ONE." Papyrus says with a sigh as he walks into the kitchen. Frisk giggles and pats the rock.

"W-well, that's interesting." She closes the door behind herself and takes a few more steps into the building. When she looks upstairs she sees two doors. "So, is it just you and Sans here?"

"YES. OUR DAD HAS A LIVING SPACE IN HIS LAB, BUT SANS AND I DIDN'T WANT TO STAY THERE. THIS TOWN IS NICE, AND WHEN HUMANS APPEARED IN THE PAST THEY ALWAYS CAME THROUGH HERE, SO I THOUGHT IT'D BE THE BEST PLACE TO DO MY WORK AS A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD." Frisk walks to the kitchen and stands in the doorway, watching Papyrus as he begins cooking.

"So… You know the king?" Papyrus puts a pot of water on the stove.

"OF COURSE!" Papyrus smiles at Frisk. "WHY DO YOU ASK?" Frisk leans on the doorway.

"I… need to speak with him."

"ABOUT WHAT?" Papyrus reaches up into a cupboard and begins pulling down some spices.

"Well, I… I've actually been out here for about a week now." Frisk looks at a window across the living room. "It's so amazing. You monsters have been living in such a beautiful place, and it's so… big. I… I know it may sound a bit ridiculous, but…" She looks at Papyrus again. "The other humans don't even know how amazing it is out here. They think this place is filled with evil monsters who want us dead, but all of you have been so kind. I want to show everyone this world. Living underground isn't… well, it's not bad, but it isn't a dream life either." She sighs and looks out the window again. "The only way to make everyone understand how good of a life they could live if they left the Underground is to destroy the barrier and show it to them."

"WAIT, YOU MEAN YOU WANT TO BRING ALL OF THE HUMANS OUT HERE?" Papyrus frowns as he looks at Frisk. She gives him a half-hearted smile.

"I think that, if everyone was able to come out here, they'd be happier, and nicer, and… It would be so much better for everyone. Right now, humans are so cramped and everyone is so on edge all the time. It isn't right. I want to stop that, and to show them all that they can be happy… That everyone deserves a good life with a happy ending, you know?" Papyrus simply looks at Frisk for a few moments, then he smiles.

"THAT SOUNDS NICE. YOU SEEM LIKE A VERY KIND HUMAN." He returns to making his spaghetti.

"Thanks… By the way, my name is Frisk."

"FRISK? WHAT A FUNNY NAME!" Frisk looks surprised, then she laughs.

"I-I guess it might be a bit different. Then again Papyrus isn't a normal name either."

"NYEH HEH HEH! THAT'S BECAUSE THERE IS ONLY ONE OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS!" Papyrus looks at his ingredients, then back at Frisk. "WELL, IT'LL ACTUALLY BE A LITTLE WHILE BEFORE I FINISH WITH MY WORLD FAMOUS SPAGHETTI. FEEL FREE TO RELAX IN THE LIVING ROOM, OR WALK AROUND TOWN FOR A LITTLE WHILE. DON'T BE TOO LONG THOUGH."

"Alright. Thanks, Papyrus." Frisk walks to the couch and sits down. Other than Papyrus' cooking and occasional humming, the house is silent. She leans on the arm of the couch, looking at the blank screen of the tv. Her feet ache a little, so she pulls off her shoes and grabs them, setting them by the door. Then she puts her feet up and leans back against the arm of the couch. Slowly, her body sinks, until her head is resting on the arm. Her eyes droop, until finally they shut all together.

* * *

Frisk opens her eyes to see a ceiling above her. She sits up, and as she does a light blue jacket slides off of her and onto the floor. She looks at it in surprise, then looks around.

"Oh… Uh… P-Papyrus?" She turns and sets her feet on the floor, then grabs the jacket before standing up. "Papyrus!" She looks around again, and this time she sees a piece of paper on the table by the door and walks over. She puts the hood of the jacket on her head and grabs the paper. "Frisk, there is spaghetti in the kitchen. I have some… things to attend to. Behave yourself. Papyrus." She smiles and sets the paper back down. She then walks to the kitchen and sees a plate of spaghetti, without the sauce, and then, on the stove, is a pot with sauce in it. Frisk grabs the plate and then puts some sauce on it. She returns to the couch and eats the spaghetti. "This is…" She half smiles. "M-maybe I'll have to help him learn some… better recipes." She giggles and continues eating, until finally the plate is empty. She returns it to the kitchen, then she walks out of the house. It's still light outside, though she can see the sun is slowly preparing to set.

"Mom, hurry up!"

"I don't wanna go home!"

"Come on! One more hour, please!" Frisk looks to her right and sees a few kids talking with her parents. She smiles and looks to her left. Further in the distance she can only see trees, but a path leads through them.

"I guess it's getting late. I wanna keep going, but…" She looks towards the sun and sighs. "Oh well." She looks up at the house and sees a balcony. "I bet the sunset'll look great from up there. I didn't see a way up though…" She walks around the house, but nothing else catches her eye. Finally, she goes back inside and heads upstairs. There are only two doors up there, no windows. "I wonder…" She knocks on the first door, but no response. Slowly, she opens it, and finds a room decorated as if for a young boy. She smiles and takes a few steps in. "I bet this is Papyrus' room. He seems like the type to have all sorts of random stuff like this." She sees a window, but it's behind a computer set-up. "Guess I can't get out this way." She walks back out and shuts the door, then she tries the next one. When she knocks, once again there is no answer. She tries to open the door, but it's locked. "Come on." She sighs. "Oh well." She heads back downstairs and sits back on the couch. She pulls the jacket so its closed up, then she leans back. "Well, someone'll come back sooner or later. I hate to impose, but I hope they don't mind me staying here tonight." She shuts her eyes.

"nah, it's fine." Frisk jumps and looks up to see Sans leaning against the upstairs balcony, looking down at her. "you really seem to like my jacket. looks cute on you." Frisk blushes and pulls the hood further down.

"Wh-where did you come from? I-I thought I was alone." She quickly asks.

"i just got home." She peaks up at Sans, and this time she notices the white lab coat he's wearing over his normal clothes. "papyrus is probably out working on puzzles or training. that's pretty normal for him." He walks down the stairs and joins Frisk on the couch. "so, did you have a good nap?"

"Uh, y-yeah… D-did you put your jacket over me?" Sans grabs a remote and turns on the tv.

"yeah. i had to come home because i forgot my lab coat, and then i saw you all curled up on the couch, so i thought you could use a blanket of some sort." Frisk looks down at the jacket, and she pulls it a little tighter.

"Th-thank you." She quietly says. Sans looks at her, but she looks away, still blushing.

"…you know, you're a bit different from the other humans that have come out here." She looks at Sans, but he looks at the tv. "you know others have come out, right?"

"O-Of course. There've been eight children that we know of who went through the barrier. The only one who ever came back was the first one, but…" Frisk looks down. "She was brought back by a monster, dead. It left all the humans panicked, so they started performing rituals every year where they'd pour some of their energy into the barrier to keep its strength up, in hopes of keeping monsters from sneaking in."

"so, that's how you know the story?" She looks at Sans, and he smiles at her. "i did kind of wonder what humans thought of monsters, but i've not exactly met a lot of humans before, so i haven't been able to ask."

"So… So you know about the monster and the first human?" Frisk questions. Sans shuts his eyes.

"it's a bit of a long story, and it's the reason that no other human who has come out here is alive right now." Frisk feels her heart stop for a moment. Sans opens one eye and looks at her. "well, i'm sure you'll hear about it eventually, especially if you're planning on seeing king asgore. that story isn't why i'm curious though."

"Then, why are you curious?" Sans looks up at the ceiling.

"so, do you know that humans are a lot stronger than monsters?"

"Yeah." Frisk nods. "Monsters are made up of mostly magic, so, physically, humans are far stronger and more durable."

"…so, if humans are so strong, shouldn't they be careful in how they use that power? shouldn't they think through their actions, and think twice before using it against someone?" Frisk frowns. Sans shut his eyes again. "there was a very kind monster who used to be captain of the royal guard. she was gentle, though she was also quite lazy." He smiles. "when the last human came around, she tried to smile, and even tried to befriend him. she believed, wholeheartedly, that anyone could be a good person if they just tried…" He opens his eyes, and they're empty. "her kindness was betrayed, and he killed her."

"That's… that's so terrible. Sans, I…" He shuts his eyes again.

"well, that's in the past. listen, frisk, be careful in how you act. these monsters deserve better than what happened to her." He opens his eyes again and looks at Frisk. She smiles at him.

"Don't worry Sans. I won't hurt anyone. The monsters have all been so kind to me. I would never want to hurt anyone." Sans studies her a moment, then smiles.

"that's good to hear. well, let's enjoy some tv until papyrus gets home." He looks at the tv, and Frisk does as well.


	8. Chapter 8

Frisk stands on the balcony outside, watching the sunrise. She smiles as the warm glow slowly stretches down her face. Suddenly, a coat is placed over her.

"pretty, isn't it?" She looks back to see Sans standing behind her. She then looks at his jacket.

"Yeah…" She smiles and pulls the jacket tight around herself as she looks back at the sunrise. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing this." Sans stands next to her and leans on the railing.

"how'd you get up here, anyways?" Frisk points to one of the trees behind the house.

"I just climbed that and hopped over from one of the branches. The only way I saw to get up here otherwise was to go through a window in Papyrus' room, but it's behind a computer, so it'd be hard to get through it. Plus I wouldn't want to just walk in while he's sleeping."

"i see…" Sans yawns. "well, what are you gonna do today, kid? you talked like you wanted to head to the capital, but you could hang around here for a while. i'm sure pap would like that." Frisk glances at Sans.

"I… I really want to go see the king. I need to talk with him, but…" She smiles. "I'm really enjoying my journey there. You know, meeting different monsters, seeing all these sights… I still can't believe the humans in the past were able to give all of this up." The two watch the sunrise in silence. Slowly, the sky changes color, and after a while they both step back from the railing.

"well, i've got some work to do at the lab, so i think i'm gonna take off. if you're gonna head that way, don't forget to drop in and say hi, okay?" He winks, and Frisk giggles.

"Okay. Thanks, Sans." Sans turns and walks to the closest window to them, which is open.

"you're right, by the way. the only way up here is through windows in mine and pap's rooms. you can just come through mine to get back inside." Sans talks as he sits on the window ledge and turns so his legs swing into the house. He then slips in. Frisk follows, but when she looks into the room Sans is gone.

"He really is doing that to mess with me, isn't he?" She smirks as she dives through the window, and only Sans' bed. "This is fun! I really like it here." She simply lies there a moment, looking up at the ceiling. "These two skeletons… I really like both of them. I'm glad I came here." She slides off the bed and heads out of the room. "Still, I need to get going. Once I get everything done, I can come back and hang out with them some more." She heads downstairs and notices her sweater on the couch. "Oh, I forgot about that." She pulls Sans' jacket off and sets it on the arm of the couch, then grabs her sweater and ties it around her waist. "I hope papyrus won't be upset that I'm not staying to say goodbye… Well, I'll get to talk with him later, I'm sure of it." She heads out the front door. It's quiet in the early morning as Frisk sets out on her journey. She walks through the wide, open space between the trees. There's a worn, dirt path leading away from the town. However, after a few minutes, once she's around a bend of trees that blocks her view of the town, she finds herself facing Papyrus.

"…HUMAN… YOU… YOU HAVE BEEN QUITE FUN IN THE SHORT WHILE I'VE KNOWN YOU. CERTAINLY YOU SEEMED EXCITED FOR MY PUZZLES, THOUGH YOU DIDN'T GET TO EXPERIENCE MY BETTER ONES. HOWEVER…" Papyrus isn't wearing his same smile from yesterday. Rather, his expression is sad, regretful. "IT IS MY DUTY, AS A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD, TO STOP ALL HUMANS, AND BRING THEIR SOULS TO THE KING."

"Wh-what?" Frisk frowns. "Papyrus, what are…" She's cut off as bones suddenly appear around her. "Wait!" The bones shoot inwards at her, and she drops to the ground. "Papyrus! I don't want to fight you!" She dives to the side to avoid more bones.

"I'M SORRY, HUMAN… FRISK. I WANT TO BE YOUR FRIEND, BUT… SO DID SHE. I CAN NOT TAKE THAT SAME CHANCE. I'M… SORRY." Bones fly at Frisk from all angles, and she struggles to dodge them. A few hit her, mostly in the arms, some in the legs.

"Papyrus, please! What about all those other puzzles? What… What about all the people I'm trying to help!" Papyrus hesitates in his attacks, but only for a moment.

"H-HUMANS HAVE ALWAYS HURT MONSTERS! EVER SINCE THEY RAN AWAY DURING THE WAY, WE HAD PEACE. THEN… THEN HUMANS CAME ALONG AGAIN, AND THEY… THEY'VE…" His hands shake as he conjures up a zig-zagging tunnel of bones. Frisk runs through the moving tunnel, occasionally hitting a wall. "I MUST PROTECT THESE MONSTERS FROM ALL HUMANS THAT APPEAR! I CAN'T LET A SINGLE ONE BE HURT BECAUSE I WAS TOO LAZY OR KIND! AND, IF YOU'RE PLANNING ON BRINGING OUT MORE HUMANS, MORE MONSTERS MAY DIE!"

"No! That won't happen!" Frisk sees a dead end ahead of her. "Trust me!" The way opens up, and she finds she's run until she's only a couple of feet away from Papyrus. He's holding a long bone in his hands, and there are tears in his eyes. "Papyrus… Please, trust me." Frisk quietly says. She feels her body ache already from the bruises and cuts the bones have given her. The magic on the bones has hit her deeper than she expected, and her injuries stretch out, slowing her body down, and distracting her with the pain.

"HOW CAN I TRUST YOU? HOW…" Suddenly, Frisk feels her body become heavy. She tries to move, but she's barely able to lift her feet. A few bones fly at her legs, but when she tries to jump she doesn't put enough power into it, and gets only a couple inches off the ground. The bones hit her legs, knocking her to the ground, and causing her to cry out in pain. Frisk sits up and starts to grab her legs where they were hit, but the moment she touches the tender spots she shouts and pulls her hands back.

"I-It… It…." She struggles to breath, let along speak. Papyrus shakes as he raises his hand. A wall of bones appear behind him.

"FRISK, FORGIVE ME, BUT… B-BUT…" She looks up at Papyrus and sees the tears in his eye sockets. His arm falls limp at his side, and the bones disappear. "I-I CAN'T… I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY FRISK!" He quickly scoops up the tiny human, and she feels the mysterious weight suddenly disappear. "I SUPPOSE UNDYNE WAS RIGHT… I DO NOT HAVE THE HEART TO END A HUMAN'S LIFE… LET'S GET YOU FIXED UP." He starts walking back towards town, Frisk curled up in his arms. She cries into his chest as the pain continues to radiate through her body. "I'M SORRY, I'M VERY SORRY, YOUNG ONE. I ONLY MEANT TO DO MY JOB, BUT… BUT I CAN NOT HURT YOU. YOU ARE A KIND HUMAN, AND I… I CAN TELL THAT YOU BELIEVE SO STRONGLY IN WHAT YOU DO. YOU WANT TO HELP OTHERS… I'M SORRY I'VE HURT YOU."

"P-Pap… Papyrus…" Frisk sniffles as she looks up at him.

"JUST RELAX, LITTLE FRISK. OUR FOOD, WHEN IMBUED WITH MAGIC, HAS VERY STRONG HEALING PROPERTIES. I'LL GET YOU A VERY NUTRITIOUS MEAL, AND MAKE SURE YOU'RE TAKEN CARE OF… I'M SORRY, FRISK. I'M SORRY." He holds her a little tighter. Frisk finds herself grabbing onto his scarf. It's soft. They reach the house, and Papyrus carefully sets Frisk down on the couch. "STAY HERE FOR A LITTLE BIT." He runs to the kitchen, leaving Frisk alone. She stares up at the ceiling, not saying a word. Occasionally she'll let out a small squeak of pain. When Papyrus finally returns from the kitchen, he's holding a cup and a plate of spaghetti. "HERE, DRINK THIS FIRST. IT'S NOT STRONG, BUT IT SHOULD BE ENOUGH THAT YOU CAN THEN SIT UP AND EAT MY SPAGHETTI." Frisk takes the cup and drinks the contents. It's cocoa. She feels the worst of the pain finally dissipate, and she's able to sit up properly.

"Th-thanks…" Her voice is quiet, and shaky. Papyrus hands her the plate, but her hands shake so much she can't get anything with the fork. He sighs and kneels in front of her, then he holds her hands steady with his own.

"HERE. THIS SHOULD HELP." With Papyrus' aid, Frisk finally manages to get a few bites of spaghetti in. The more she eats, the better she feels. Papyrus lets go as her hands begin to steady, and by the time she finishes the plate she's completely recovered. "ARE YOU FEELING BETTER?"

"Yeah..." She glances at him, but then continues to keep her attention on the plate now in her lap. "Thank you."

"FRISK… I…" Papyrus looks down. "DID YOU KNOW MY MOTHER USED TO BE IN THE ROYAL GUARD?" Frisk looks at Papyrus. He smiles sadly at her. "I WAS YOUNG, BUT I IDOLIZED HER SO VERY MUCH. SANS AND DAD, THEY LOVED THEIR SCIENCE. MOTHER THOUGH… SHE WAS A WARRIOR. SHE WAS POWERFUL. SHE WAS A HERO. ONE DAY THOUGH, WHEN I WAS STILL A KID, A HUMAN APPEARED. MOTHER, SHE HAD A KIND HEART, AND SHE DECIDED TO BEFRIEND THE HUMAN, GO AGAINST THE KING'S DECREE. SHE BELIEVED THAT ANYONE COULD BE A GOOD PERSON, IF THEY JUST TRIED." He looks down.

"She… D-did she…" Frisk thinks back to what Sans had told her before.

"MOTHER… SHE REFUSED TO HURT THE HUMAN… BUT THE HUMAN DID NOT RETURN HER KINDNESS. EVENTUALLY THEY WERE STOPPED BY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL GUARD, BUT…" He slowly takes off the scarf around his neck and then looks at it. "THIS SCARF BELONGED TO HER. SHE ALWAYS WORE IT, WHETHER SHE WAS IN HER ARMOR OR NOT… DAD GAVE IT TO ME AT HER FUNERAL."

"Papyrus… I'm…" Papyrus squeezes the scarf.

"I COULD NEVER BE LIKE HER… I CAN'T PROTECT ANYONE." Frisk puts her plate to the side, then she scoots forward and places her hands over Papyrus'. He looks up at her smiling face.

"You spared my life, didn't you?" He looks surprised. "Your mom… I bet she'd be proud of you for that. You could have killed me, then and there, but you're just as kind as she was." He smiles.

"PERHAPS MOTHER WAS RIGHT… THERE IS GOOD IN EVERYONE. HUMANS AREN'T ALL ENEMIES. YOU CERTAINLY AREN'T." Frisk hops off the couch and hugs Papyrus. He hugs her back, holding her tight. "THANK YOU, FRISK. YOU HAVE EVERY REASON TO HATE ME, YET…" Frisk smiles at him.

"How could I ever hate someone as sweet as you?" Papyrus blushes slightly, his cheek bones turning the slightest bit orange. He quickly stands up and looks away.

"W-WELL, I DON'T WANT TO KEEP YOU FROM YOUR QUEST ANY LONGER."

"Thanks, Pap. I'll see you around." Frisk heads to the door.

"W-WAIT!" She stops and turns back. Papyrus walks up to her, then he wraps his scarf around her neck. Frisk looks down at it in surprised. "I… ALWAYS FELT SAFE, LIKE SHE WAS STILL WITH ME WHEN I HAD THAT SCARF. IT'LL BE DANGEROUS, GOING TO THE CAPITAL, TO THE KING. I'M SURE MOM WILL PROTECT YOU LIKE SHE HAS ALWAYS PROTECTED ME." Frisk looks up at Papyrus. "I'LL SEE YOU LATER, LITTLE HUMAN." Frisk smiles, a few tears in her eyes.

"Later." She finally walks out of the home, continuing on the journey. The red scarf gently waves behind her as she walks, saying goodbye to Papyrus as he watches her go.

"I BELIEVE MOM… THIS HUMAN PROVES YOU WERE RIGHT ALL ALONG… PROTECT HER, PLEASE."


	9. Chapter 9

Frisk finds herself breaking through the tree line, and stepping out onto a beach. She looks at the shells on the sand, hears the seagulls crying over the water, and takes in the scent of the sea.

"W-wow… The sun, the sea…" She slowly makes her way over the sand. "This place really is beautiful. I wonder how many of the others would want to live someplace like this." She reaches down and picks up a seashell. "These are cool. I wonder what they are. Mom told me a tiny bit about the places outside her clearing, but she never told me about these. They're so pretty." She feels the scarf gentle brush against her arm, and she looks at it. The scarf is so long on her that the tip is dragging down in the sand. She gives it another wrap around herself. "Definitely don't want to ruin this thing. It means too much to Papyrus."

"Hey!" Frisk jumps and looks back to see a young monster running towards her. He's wearing a stripped sweater, but since he has no arms, neither does the sweater. "When I went out for a run this morning I saw you were headed towards the beach. I'm not supposed to come here by myself, but I really, really wanna go see Undyne! I thought, since you were going this way, then I'm not by myself!" The monster stops when he reaches her. His yellow skin seems to match the sun.

"O-oh?" Frisk blinks a few times as she tries to process what she's just been told. "So…"

"Hey! If we hurry then we can totally see Undyne doing some morning patrols!" He starts running. "Come on! If you do…" He's cut off when he trips.

"A-are you okay?" Frisk runs over and helps him stand back up.

"Y-yeah. Ha. I'm a bit clumsy sometimes. It's fine though!" He gives Frisk a big grin. "A little fall won't hurt me!" She smiles.

"Well, let's just be a bit more careful." The two walk together along the sandy beach. "I wasn't expecting any company."

"It's okay I'm here, right?" The monster looks up at Frisk. She giggles.

"I don't mind." He smiles.

"Great! Just… Don't tell my parents, okay?"

"Alright. Deal." The further they go, the more monsters they see. Soon, Frisk notices some buildings not far from the beach. Homes, businesses, all colorfully decorated to match the scenery. "This place is so pretty."

"It's super cool! In the summer my family comes to the beach all the time! I'm getting way better at swimming!" The monster starts running. "Hey! Let's hurry! I bet Undyne is up in the driftwood forts!"

"Driftwood forts?"

"Yeah!" He keeps running, leaving Frisk behind.

"What's driftwood?" Frisk asks herself as she continues to walk. A gap quickly builds up between the two of them, until the kid is just a colorful blur in the distance. "He's fast… I mean, he is all legs, so…" She giggles. Suddenly a blue spear flies past her, making her stop dead in her tracks.

"Human…" Frisk looks to her right to see someone dressed completely in armor. "What are you doing with his scarf? Did you kill Papyrus?"

"N-no! Never!" Frisk feels her heartbeat double as she waves her hands. "No!"

"Die!" Another spear appears in their hand, and Frisk books it. She takes off down the sand, struggling to gain any sort of speed as she goes. Her assailant is hot on her heels. "Get back here!"

"No! I can't deal with this again! Leave me al…" She's cut off as a spear runs through her chest. Frisk stumbles and falls forward. Her blood spills out and stains the sand. She tries to scream, but there's no air in her lungs. She feels another sharp pain in her chest as another spear is run through her, then everything goes black.

* * *

Frisk is standing at the start of the beach. She blinks a few times as she looks out at the sand. Her trembling hands run over her chest, but they find nothing wrong. She looks down, and sees her body is indeed intact.

"Wh-what… What was…" An image of her falling off the cliff at the start of her journey flashes through her mind. "I… I died. I really did die… I-I've died twice, but…" She feels the scarf around her neck tickle at her chin, and she grabs it with both hands. "How… How can I be alive? I don't…" She looks back, and she sees the young monster walking out of the trees. He spots her and smiles.

"Hey!" He runs up to her. "When I went out for a run this morning I saw you were headed towards the beach. I'm not supposed to come here by myself, but I really, really wanna go see Undyne! I thought, since you were going this way, then I'm not by myself!" A chill runs down Frisk's spine.

"O-oh? That's cool." She fakes a smile. "Say, uh… No, never mind. Let's get going." The two start walking. After a minute the monster looks at Frisk.

"Hey! If we hurry then we can totally see Undyne doing some morning patrols!" He starts running.

"H-hey, be careful!" Her words have no effect, as he still trips and face plants into the sand. Frisk pauses, then she sighs. "Y-you okay?" She smiles as she walks over and helps him up.

"Y-yeah. Ha. I'm a bit clumsy sometimes. It's fine though!" He gives Frisk a big grin. "A little fall won't hurt me!"

"Right. Well, we better hurry then." She starts running, and he runs as well. "I don't know my way around here though."

"That's okay! I do! I bet if we make it to the driftwood forts we'll catch Undyne on patrol! It'll be great!" As they run, Frisk finds herself placing her hand over her chest again. The image of that spear flying past her, and the memory of the pain the other spears inflicted fill her mind. As they run, she finds herself struggling to gain any speed. The sand offers no traction. Still, the two continue on, until, finally, they reach a part of the beach filled with wood, seaweed, and other debris. However, most of the items are arranged into structures. Some are tiny shacks, some are simply walls, and others are models. There are also rogue pieces littering the sand.

"Is this the… Forts?" Frisk asks as the two slow down to a walk.

"Yep." The monster kid looks at Frisk. "It's pretty cool. This goes on for a while, and since no one ever takes anything down, this part of the beach is so packed with stuff that it's almost like a maze. Of course, most people just walk up there, but that's no fun!" Frisk looks to her right. Where the sand stops, so does the structures. There are a couple of buildings up there, including a shop with a sign that reads 'Nicecream'.

"I… think I want to go through here." She quickly says as she glances behind herself. No one is there. Still, she feels her stomach turning. "Probably safer." She mumbles.

"Huh?"

"Nothing." The two enter the driftwood forts, the monster kid leading the way.


	10. Chapter 10

It doesn't take long for Frisk to lose sight of her companion. She walks through the maze of dead wood and seaweed, and slowly she feels herself relax.

"I-I doubt that crazy guy'll find me." She quietly says. "Who even was that? I mean…" She puts her hand over where one of the holes once was. "So… I… I can't really die, can I? It still hurts though… Like, really, really hurts." She lets out a long sigh. The ocean waves beat against the sand, and the smell of the sea fills the air. Frisk slows her walk as the calming sounds flow through the air around her. She reaches out and runs her fingers over some of the wood for a few moments, then her hand drops back to her side.

"Thought you could run?" Frisk freezes. "Let's end that, now!" Frisk dives to the right, and see can see some spears hit the sand where she had been standing. She quickly gets back on her feet and starts running. Over and over she hits walls and shacks as she attempts to flee. "Get back here!" Frisk sees a blue glow in front of her, and she jumps to the left of it. Spears shoot up from it.

"Stop it! Please!" Frisk shouts as she turns a corner. She skids to a stop as the blue lights cover all of the ground in front of her. Spears shoot up, creating a wall.

"This is it! You dirty little murderer. I'll make sure you pay for ki…"

"I didn't kill Papyrus!" Frisk spins around and glares at her attacker. "In fact, he almost killed me! But he changed his mind, and he gave me his scarf! He said it was his mom's…" She grabs the scarf with both hands. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"You expect me to take the word of some human?" Frisk grits her teeth.

"Yes! He trusted me!" A spear appears in the attacker's hand. They then lunge at Frisk, but she dives under them, getting a face full of sand. She scrambles to her feet and starts running the way she came. However, she slips into one of the tiny buildings and hides back in its shadows. She sees the armored pursuer run past, and listens to the clank of metal as it gets further and further away. Finally, when she can no longer hear it, she crawls out of her disheveled shelter. "I… I don't know how to deal with this." She once again makes her way through the driftwood forts. Suddenly, she hears a ringing. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a phone. "Uh…" She answers. "Hello?"

"FRISK! GOOD, I FINALLY GOT A HOLD OF YOU. I'VE BEEN DIALING ALL SORTS OF NUMBERS TRYING TO FIND YOURS."

"P-Papyrus?" Frisk stops. "You…"

"YOU KNOW, I THINK I MISSED A CALL WHILE I WAS TRYING NUMBERS EARLIER. I KEPT HITTING CALL AND END CALL THOUGH, SO I'M NOT COMPLETELY SURE."

"P-Papyrus! I… I'm being chased by some crazy guy in armor!" Frisk shouts. "I… I don't know what to do! They think you're dead and that I killed you and they keep throwing spears at me, and…"

"WAIT, FRISK, HOLD ON. THAT SOUNDS A LOT LIKE… WHERE ARE YOU, EXACTLY?"

"I-I'm in the driftwood forts."

"LISTEN, I'LL COME TO YOU. DON'T GO TOO FAR AWAY FROM THEM, OKAY? THE MONSTER AFTER YOU IS UNDYNE, CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD. I'LL GIVE HER A CALL, BUT… AS I SAID BEFORE, IT'S PART OF MY JOB, AND HERS, TO CAPTURE ALL HUMANS AND TAKE THEIR SOULS… I… WILL DO MY BEST TO HELP YOU. STAY SAFE UNTIL I GET THERE."

"O-okay." Frisk is quiet. "Hurry, please."

"I WILL." She hangs up, then continues her quest to escape the wooden maze. When a loud noise scares her, she hides in the nearest shelter, until she finally feels comfortable enough to leave. Eventually, she breaks free of the forts. However, she stays near the exit, occasionally going into one of the forts along the edge. After a while, she starts walking a little further away, going closer to the water. She walks just up to it and squats down. As a wave rolls in, she reaches her hand out, letting the water envelop her fingers. When it recedes she giggles and shakes the water off her hand.

"This place is so overwhelming sometimes." She stands up. "I wish I could just relax out here. I kind of want to go swimming in that, too." She turns just in time to see her armored attacker walk out of the driftwood forts. The two look at each other a moment, then Frisk starts to run.

"Enough running!" Suddenly Frisk's feet feel so heavy she can't run anymore. She's almost glued to the spot.

"Wh-what?" She tries to move, but she can barely lift her feet.

"No more running!" She turns, with some effort, and watches as her attacker takes off their helmet, revealing they're a blue woman with some small fins on their face, an eye-patch over their left eye, and red hair.

"P-please! Leave me alone!" Frisk shouts.

"Listen here. Humans are a threat to monsters, and I will not tolerate your existence. I also can't stand cowards! Look at you, running every time we meet! Now though, using my magic, your soul is unable to leave. You'll be forced to face me so long as your soul is imbued with green magic."

"Wh-what? Green… Wait…" She looks at Undyne, then at her hands. "Green magic, a magic of healing and defense alike. Also known as basic support magic…" A few spears appear on either side of Undyne. When they shoot at Frisk, she holds her hand up, and a green shield appears. The spears disintegrate when they hit the shield. Undyne looks surprised, but then she smiles.

"Look at that! You've actually managed to use a shield! But can you block this?" Spears appear on all four sides of Frisk, and they shoot out at different times. Frisk moves her hands blocking the spears as they come at her. She struggles to turn in time to catch ones behind her, but still, she manages to save herself from any injury from this wave. Move spears appear though, and they continue to shoot at Frisk. However, she spots a different colored spear coming from in front of her, a yellow one. It distracts Frisk, and one of the spears manages to get past her shield. She leans to the side, and it skims her arm.

"This is really no…" She watches the yellow spear suddenly circle around her and shoot at her back. She manages to turn and block it, though only just in time. "No fair!"

"You don't call things fair or not fair in a fight for your life! Grow up!" Frisk grits her teeth.

"Fine then! Bring it!" More spears appear, several of them yellow. Frisk takes in a deep breath, then slowly lets it out. "I can do this." The spears fly at her, and she continues to block them. On occasion, one will slip past. However, she usually manages to dodge, and never allows a spear to hit any vital spots. After a few rounds, Undyne creates a spear in her hand and waves it before throwing it at Frisk. As Frisk prepares to use the shield, she finds it doesn't appear. She looks at the spear flying towards her face, then she dives to the ground. Her feet are light once again.

"Thought I'd leave you like that forever? Ha! What sort of battle would it be if I left you to only defend? Come at me, human! I'll show you the power of monsters!" A blue circle appears below Frisk, and she rolls away just in time to avoid the spears that shoot up from the ground. She scrambles to her feet, then jumps to the side to avoid another spear. Frisk looks at Undyne, then glances around herself. "Come on! Attack me! I dare you!" Frisk starts running for the street. "What? Get back here!" She gets just past the last bit of driftwood when her feet suddenly fail her once again. Instantly she turns and puts up a shield, and she watches as a spear disintegrates in front of her face.

"Th-that was close." She smiles nervously. "I-I really could do without the risk of death."

"You don't get to run away from this fight! You either face me, or…"

"UNDYNE!" Papyrus runs from the road towards them. "I HAD HOPED TO GET HERE BEFORE YOU FOUND THE HUMAN, BUT…"

"P-Papyrus? But…" Undyne looks from Papyrus to Frisk. "Your scarf?"

"I GAVE IT TO THE HUMAN, AS A PROTECTIVE CHARM FOR THEIR JOURNEY. UNDYNE, YOU CAN'T KILL THIS HUMAN. FRISK ISN'T EVIL. I CAN SEE IT, SHE'S KIND, AND SHE LOVES MONSTERS." Frisk smiles as Papyrus.

"You… You can't be serious! Papyrus, you're a member of the royal guard! You can't let a threat like a human just…"

"NO!" Papyrus creates a bone in his hand. "I WON'T ALLOW YOU TO HARM HER ANY MORE! I… I BELIEVE IN THIS HUMAN, UNDYNE. I BELIEVE IN FRISK." He places a hand on Frisk's shoulder. "I NEED YOU TO TRUST ME, UNDYNE. PLEASE. I BELIEVE IN THIS HUMAN, LIKE MY MOTHER BELIEVED IN HUMANS. THEY CAN BE GOOD IF THEY TRY, AND SHE'S CERTAINLY TRYING. I AM HAPPY TO CALL HER… FRIEND." Frisk feels some tears in her eyes as she looks up at Papyrus.

"Y-you can't be… This is crazy! Papyrus, you know…" Undyne stumbles over her words. "Papyrus, a human is the reason your mother is dead! You know that!"

"I DO… BUT THAT HUMAN AND THIS ONE ARE NOT THE SAME. I REFUSE TO LIVE WITH FEAR… I REFUSE TO LET OUR MISCONCEPTIONS AND PAST KEEP ME FROM ENJOYING THE PRESENT, AND STRIVING TOWARDS A BETTER FUTURE. YES, I'M A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD, AND AS A MEMBER OF IT I FEEL IT IS MY DUTY TO PROTECT EVERYONE, INCLUDING THIS HUMAN WHO LOVES US SO MUCH."

"P-Papyrus…" Frisk sniffles. She quickly hugs him, and he smiles and hugs her back.

"You… Really feel strongly about this, don't you?" Undyne sighs. "I… Okay, Papyrus. Okay. I still don't trust this human, and I'll be keep a close eye on them." She glares at Frisk. "But… Just this once, for you… For your mom."

"THANK YOU, UNDYNE. YOU WON'T REGRET THIS."

"I better not." She walks up to them. "Kid, you hear me? If you harm a single monster, if anyone at all is killed because you got too full of yourself, I will personally hunt you down and destroy you, understand?"

"Well, given I don't plan on hurting anyone, I think I'll be fine." Undyne walks past them, heading up towards the road. Frisk looks up at Papyrus. "Thank you, really. I don't think I could have survived without you."

"NO WORRIES. WHAT ARE FRIENDS FOR?" He reaches down and adjusts Frisk's scarf. "I HAVE TO RETURN HOME NOW. I MUST PATROL AND ENSURE THE CITIZENS STAY SAFE. FROM HERE ON OUT, I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO REACH YOU IN TIME IF YOU GET INTO A FIGHT. PLEASE, TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. THIS SCARF HAS SEEN ONE LIFE END, IT DOESN'T NEED TO SEE ANOTHER." Frisk nods.

"I'll do my best."

"GOOD. PERHAPS, ONCE SHE HAS COOLED OFF, YOU AND UNDYNE COULD BECOME FRIENDS. YOU HAVE MY NUMBER NOW, AND I HAVE YOURS, SO WE'LL HAVE TO KEEP IN TOUCH. EVEN IF I CAN'T GET TO YOU, YOU CAN ALWAYS CALL ME. PERHAPS I'LL BE OF USE STILL."

"Alright. Thank you, Papyrus. I… I really appreciate this… everything."

"GOODBYE FOR NOW, MY FRIEND."

"Goodbye, friend." The two wave as they part ways. Frisk continues her journey along the beach, while Papyrus heads back towards his home.

"Hey! I saw that! All of that!" Frisk stops and sees the monster kid running out from the forts. "That was so cool! You're a human? Well, I know you're supposed to be my enemy, but… But even Undyne let you go! I knew you were cool!" They smile. "I've gotta go home before my parents realize I've left, but… I had fun walking with you. And I even got to see Undyne in action! So cool! Well, see you around!" They turn and run back into the forts, laughing as they go. Frisk lets out a sigh, but continues to smile.

"Alright, guess it's just me again." She continues on her way, feeling a little lighter, and a little more determined.


	11. Chapter 11

As Frisk walks, she looks down at her hands. She curls her fingers into her palms, then straightens them out again. The sound of the ocean occasionally catches her attention, but mostly its background noise.

"Time magic is one of the highest levels… No human has been able to master it before. If… If I have time magic… Can I even control it?" She looks up at the sky. "So far its only been in response to my…" She trails off as her hands move to where she was pierced before. "There has to be a way to control it. But… I've never been able to use any type of magic. I don't even know where to start." She lets out a long sigh as her hands drop to her side.

"HoI!" She stops and looks down at the monster running up to her. "hOI! I'm tEMMiE!"

"O-oh, hello." Frisk smiles.

"TeMMIE waNts tEm flAKeS. tEMMIE huNGrY!" She flops onto her side in front of Frisk. "tEMmiE cAn't muV."

"Oh… Oh dear." Frisk leans down and scoops Temmie up. "I don't have any, uh, Tem Flakes, but I can help you get home. I'm sure you have food there. Where do you live?"

"TemMIE lIve In tEM villAge." Temmie weakly lifts her paw and points.

And "Okay. Past those trees, right?" Temmie nods, and Frisk starts walking. She walks off the beach, past the few buildings lining the sidewalk, and off into the forest a short ways away. "The trees are really getting further and further away. I mean, I am getting away from the mountain, so I shouldn't be surprised that things are becoming less… wild." She walks into the trees, holding Temmie close to her.

"cUTe hUmAN is kiND." Temmie says.

"Th-thanks." Frisk ducks below a branch. "How far is your village?"

"hOI!"

"HoI!"

"HOi!" Several other Temmies run out from the trees and greet Frisk. They surround her, forcing her to stop.

"Uh, h-hello." Frisk smiles nervously. "I, um, I brought your friend back. She wasn't doing too good."

"OH No! TEmMie!"

"teMMIe hUnGRy…" The Temmie in Frisk's arms groans.

"TemMie flaKes! gET teMie FLAkes!" One of the Temmies runs off, and the others start pushing against Frisk's legs. "FOLLow temMIE!" Frisk starts walking, careful to not step on the many small creatures weaving their ways around her legs. Eventually they find a path, and this path leads to a small clearing with a few make-shift buildings and several Temmies.

"hOi!"

"HOi!"

"hOI! I haZ TEM flaKEs!" One of them shouts as she puts her paw on a box. Frisk walks over and sets Temmie down. Without any hesitation, Temmie grabs the box and pours its contents into her mouth.

"HOI! TemMIe is HAppY!" She shouts as she tosses the box away. Frisk smiles as she watches the Temmies gather around and excitedly shout with each other. A few vibrate.

"You are… Strange creatures. But so cute." She giggles. "Well, I have to be going."

"No! nO GooDBoI yet! HuMAn is TeMmIe's gueST." The first Temmie runs around the back of Frisk and starts pushing against her leg. "LeT TemmIe buY thE HUMan TEm flakEs as thAnk yoU." Frisk sighs as she starts walking.

"You really don't have to." She says as Temmie runs around and leads the way into one of the buildings. Here, Frisk sees another Temmie, dressed in a sweater rather than the striped shirts that the others have.

"hOi! WelComE to TEm SHoP!"

"TEMMiE, I neeD TeM FlakES for HUmaN!" The shop Temmie reaches below her cardboard box counter and pulls out a box. She sets it on the counter, and Temmie looks up at Frisk. "FoR humAN!"

"Are you sure? You don't need to give me anything." Temmie nods so quickly and for so long that she head becomes a blur for several seconds.

"HUMan helP TemmIe! teMMIe thANk HumaN! GivE tem flaKEs!" Frisk looks at the box, then she reaches out and grabs it.

"Well, uh, okay then. Thank you." Frisk smiles at Temmie. "I appreciate it."

"YeS! HapPY cuTe huMAN!" Temmie shouts as she jumps a few times.

"hOI! EnjOi tEm FlakES!" The shop Temmie says.

"I will. I should get going though. I'll have to come visit again sometime."

"Yes! HuMAn viSit temMIe! bOI huMaN!"

"Goodbye for now!" Frisk waves as she walks out of the shop. The Temmies surround her as she walks out of the tiny village, all shouting their boi's and a few vibrating, still. Finally though, as her path turns back into nothing but trees, the Temmies leave her. She makes her way out of the forest, then returns to her journey. She sees the capital off in the distance, up on a hill. "That was fun, but…" She looks down at the box in her hands. "Well, at least I got some food. I'm starving." She opens the box and pours some of the temmie flakes into her hand. They're small, and, surprisingly, flakey. She throws them into her mouth, and instantly her face contorts into a grimace. "Uhg…" She quickly swallows, then shakes her head. "Not… Not exactly the tastiest thing." After a minute she pours more into her hand, she continues to eat the flakes as she goes. "When you're hungry…"

* * *

As Frisk leaves the beach she sees a few houses clumped together. One house is round and reminds her of a giant fish head, but the other two are tall and halfway up they start leaning to the side. Behind the two bendy houses are a few fenced off areas with some animals inside of them. Frisk walks towards the fences.

"O-oh my… I didn't expect a v-visitor." Frisk jumps and looks around, but she doesn't see anyone. "Hello. Sorry, you probably can't see me." A pale ghost appears in front of Frisk, and she jumps back.

"G-ghost? Wh-what? I… I wasn't…" The ghost shrinks back. "N-no! Wait! Sorry." She forces a smile. "I-I'm just surprised. M-my name is Frisk."

"Y-you… You want to give me your name? Wait, d-did you want to know mine?" Frisk nods. "O-oh dear… I… I didn't expect this." He moves back and forth as he continues to stutter. "M-my name is N-Napstablook. This place is a farm run by my family. Well…" He looks back at the fenced animals, then at Frisk. "It was by my family. They've gone their own ways though…"

"I'm sorry. Can I look at the animals?" Napstablook nods and leads Frisk to the fenced areas.

"We have a few different animals. Over here, we have bunnies. In the other pen, we have snails."

"B-bunnies and snails?" Frisk giggles. "Those are quite different."

"Well… Snails are a staple. My cousin started the bunny ranch, but… H-he left, so I take care of them now."

"That's too bad. The bunnies are cute, though." Frisk walks over and reaches down. One of the bunnies hops a little closer, but it doesn't come within reach. "So, I didn't really think ghosts would be a type of monster I'd find out here." She looks at Napstablook. "It's kinda cool."

"C-cool? I… I wouldn't… O-oh my…" Napstablook blushes as she floats back and forth. "M-my cousin is… He's cool, but… I-I wouldn't say I am."

"No way. You're definitely cool." Frisk giggles as she pushes off of the fence. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Napstablook. I've gotta get to the capital to see the king, though."

"Oh… I-I guess I'm not the best company. Oh…" He disappears before Frisk can respond.

"I… I didn't mean…" She sighs. "Well, I guess I'll just have to tell him another time." She returns to her walk.


	12. Chapter 12

The closer Frisk gets to the capital, the more buildings she sees. Small clumps of homes, an occasional shop, and many monsters running about. She looks out towards the see, and the water shimmers in brilliant sunlight.

"I've been walking for a while… It's so exhausting, I'm not sure I can actually make it in a day. Really, I'm so used to being able to get anywhere in the Underground so easy." She looks up towards the sky. Not a single cloud can be seen amongst the vast expanse of blue. "Out here is so… big." She smiles as a warm sensation spreads throughout her body. "I may not have come out here for the right reasons, but… I'm so glad I did. I've made friends, I've seen all this beauty, experienced so much, and…" She looks down at her hands, which are open and palm up. "I've gained magic, somehow." Her hands drop to her side. "Well, I'll need to take a break soon. Walking all day is tiring." She pauses to shake one foot, then the other. "I'll probably want to find somewhere to spend the night, too. I really don't think I can get to the capital before it gets dark."

"hey." Frisk jumps and spins around to see Sans standing there, wearing his lab coat, with his hands in his pockets.

"S-Sans!" She smiles. "I wasn't expecting to run into you so soon."

"well, i heard you were getting close to the lab, so i thought i'd come and greet ya."

"That's great. But… I don't see any lab around." Frisk scans the area, but nothing stands out.

"well, you're still on the beach. the lab is set between the end of the beach, and the next town over."

"Oh." Frisk looks back at Sans. "So, uh, did you wanna walk with me or something?"

"actually, i was gonna invite you to get something to eat, then i figured i'd take you to the lab and maybe introduce you to some people." He looks Frisk up and down. "by the way, don't mean to be nosey or anything, but why do you have pap's scarf?" His cold tone sends a chill down Frisk's spine.

"W-well, Papyrus gave it to me, for my journey." She reaches up and runs her fingers over the scarf. "He…" She looks down, then back up at Sans. "He told me about her, Sans." Sans' smile disappears for a moment, but then he shuts his eyes and shrugs.

"well, i figured you'd realize who exactly she was sooner or later." He looks at the scarf, once again smiling. "paps was so little when mom died, i'm surprised he remembers her at all. heh. he always surprises me with how much he thinks like her. if he gave that to you… well, kid, you must be pretty special."

"Heh. Thanks, Sans."

"well, i'm getting pretty hungry. what do you say? wanna grab a bite with me?" Frisk nods.

"Sounds great."

"follow me. i know a shortcut." He turns and starts walking. Frisk follows, but when she next blinks she finds herself back in Sans' town, standing in front of a building with a sign that says 'Grillby's' on it.

"Wh-wha… I… H-how…" She looks at Sans, but he's already walking into Grillby's. "Sans you can't do this to me!" She runs after him.

"Sans!"

"Hey buddy, good to see you."

"You should really come around more often!" Frisk looks around the pub and sees many monsters drinking, eating, and playing games. Only a few monsters are there alone.

"hey, that sounds great, but between paps and dad i've got a lot of work to do." He walks up to the counter and sits in front of the fire monster who is cleaning some glasses. Frisk follows suit, sitting to Sans' right. "say, frisk, what are you hungry for?"

"Uh, I…"

"well, how does a burger sound?"

"A lot better than temmie flakes." Sans laughs.

"you actually ate temmie flakes? that's great. right, grillby, can we get two orders of burg?" The fire monster looks at them, sets down his glass, pushes his glass up, then nods and walks through a doorway that's near the opening on the side of the counter. "you know, this is a really nice place, and the food is some of my favorite. i kinda wish i came here more often, but life just doesn't allow it."

"It seems nice." Frisk looks down at her hands as she twiddles her thumbs.

"so… what do you think of my brother?"

"Paps? He's great." Frisk adjusts the scarf. "I mean, he did almost kill me." Sans looks surprised. "But, he couldn't do it, I guess. He healed me up and gave me this. I really do like him. He's sweet." Sans starts to speak, but Grillby returns with two plates of burgers and fries. He sets one in front of each of them while Sans pulls a bottle of ketchup out from under his lab coat. Frisk raises an eyebrow at him.

"want some?"

"Sure." He hands her the bottle, but when Frisk attempts to put some on her plate the top comes off and spills all over her food. Sans snorts as he attempts to stifle a laugh while Frisk looks down at her food, heartbroken.

"i-it's okay, you can have mine. it just goes right through me." He slides it plate over as Frisk glares at him, which only results in Sans snickering. "go ahead and eat up. listen, when we finish here i'll take you to the lab. the only thing i'll say is, when we get there, you need to stay behind me and do as you're told. got it?" Frisk nods as she chews some of her food. "great. hurry up and finish then. there's a lot left to do before the day is done."


End file.
